Score keeping devices for such games as golf and baseball have been known for some time. Many involve some type of indicator that is incrementally moved in response to the changing score or other statistic. U.S. Pat. No. 3,584,597 shows an example of a device with 18 sliders which correspond to the 18 holes in the game of golf. A plurality of sliders, each having numerals marked on a surface, indicate the score of a single hole. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,212,261 provides a number of sliders which move in tracks whereby they may point to the appropriate score. A similar idea was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,468,143, wherein a plurality of indicators were moved against a spring bias to indicate the score for each hole.
Such score keeping devices provide some advantages over the conventional use of score card and pen; however, problems with their design have contributed to a lack of wide-spread adoption of such devices.
The lack of wide-spread adoption of a golf score keeping device has resulted in player's attempting to keep track of statistics in other manners, typically with paper and pencil. Keeping track of statistics is particularly important for a complete analysis of a player's game, since only by statistical analysis can a player determine the areas of the game on which practice would most effectively result in an improved score. For example, where a player has a low ratio of chip and pitch successes per chip and pitch attempts, this fact will be revealed by a sufficiently in-depth statistical analysis of the game. Once the problem has been identified, the player may then begin to address the problem with additional time, concentration and practice.
A principle design problem that has not been adequately resolved by previous score keeping devices is that the sliders typically used to indicate the score tend to be difficult to move when desired, tend to move when not desired, do not always distinctly point to an exact score, and fail to make an affirmative "click" and corresponding "feel" after each movement. Such a "click" and "feel" are required to allow one-handed operation, possibly without even looking at the device.
What is needed is an improved golf score keeping device which resolves the above design issues, and which is therefore suited for wide-spread adoption for routine use by golfers. Such a golf score keeping device would allow players to acquire the in-depth data necessary for adequate statistical analysis of their game. It is only through the use of such data that a concerted effort is possible which will efficiently diagnose areas where problems are present, and areas where additional work is less needed. Such raw data and related statistical information could therefore be used by players of all ability levels to determine the areas where additional concentration, time and practice are most warranted, and possibly other areas on which additional work is less likely to result in a corresponding score improvement.